Re: No Longer Can Print to Network Printer And ...

Thanks for the quick reply, Tom. Two of the three are XP, one is W2K SP4.
Tried the Restore on my laptop, no luck. Btw, there is no problem (that I
know of) with the machine to which the shared printer is connected.
-bf

"Tom Ferguson" wrote:

> Do all three computers on the network use Windows XP? Is System Restore
> enabled on all three? If so, check to see if you have restore dates
> available that precede the onset of printing problems. Restore all three
> systems to the most suitable date.
>
> Let us know.
>
> Tom
> MSMVP
> Windows Shell/User
>
>
> "Bill F" <BillF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:82939DAA-846F-44B1-AB8E-7E8C1326BB61@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> :I have a 3-computer home workgroup that connects to the internet via a
> : Netgear router. I have a Lexmark X74-75 printer/scanner/copier that is
> : connect to one of those computers, and that computer is connected
> directly to
> : the router. The other two computers print to the Lexmark via sharing.
> This
> : setup has been working without issue for about 2 years, but in the
> past week,
> : everything seems to have gone to hell, including the ability to print.
> This
> : description may be a little long, but I have to be everything I am
> about to
> : relate is somehow connected. I will do my best to also advise what I
> have
> : installed, removed, etc., during that period.
> :
> : First, to printing from the machine I am writing this on, a Dell D600
> : laptop. While I can see the printer over the network, and can even
> explore
> : the properties, when I try to print now, it comes back with an error
> message
> : dependent on what app I am trying to print from. Office apps tell me
> the
> : printer is not available. Notepad tells me there is an invalid handle.
> : Acrobat says some other error occurred, etc. I have uninstalled and
> : reinstalled the driver about 1000 times, and have done so by letting
> the
> : network printer install it (which it does just fine) and by installing
> via
> : the Lexmark CD that came with the printer. I have removed everything
> on my
> : system related to Lexmark (which is one helluva chore!), including
> (finally)
> : getting rid of the LexBce server that wasn't allowing me to use the
> print
> : spooler any more or install printers. I removed everything -- every
> printer
> : driver, every printer and faux printer (eFax, PDF writer, etc) using
> : Microsoft's KB as guidance. I then cleaned up the registry using a
> : combination of Ace Utilities, RegSeeker and RegScrubXP, and started
> all over.
> : I can add the printer using the Add Printer function fine, but still
> have the
> : same errors and cannot print.
> :
> : There are other goings-on that might help resolve this for me and
> others,
> : all new. I installed Microsoft Antispyware Beta. For the past few
> years, I
> : have run Ad-Aware (free version), PestPatrol. In that past few months,
> I
> : replaced PestPatrol (which always worked fabulously for me) with
> Spybot, as
> : PP was getting long in tooth and I did not want to shell out to get an
> : updated version, and had been reading a lot of bad stuff about it.
> That
> : seemed to work fine as well. But since installed MAB, I have had other
> : weirdness going on with my system. I uninstalled Spybot to use it, but
> have
> : since uninstalled MAB and gone back to Spybot in case MAB had somehow
> : contributed to this printing problem.
> :
> : Next, I decided to upgrade to Ad-Aware Plus. In my view, big mistake.
> I have
> : not only had performance issues since installing it (especially with
> : Ad-Watch). I recently wrote to Lavasoft after reading Microsoft's
> basic
> : indictment of the product when sending an error report after a Not
> Responding
> : problem, but have heard nothing back except to reinstall it.
> :
> : There's more -- and this might be tell-tale, although I don't know
> what to
> : do about it. I was given a gift from Scansoft of Dragon Naturally
> Speaking 7
> : about a year ago (I am a global IT strategy director for a large
> engineering
> : services company) for trying out its PDF conversion program (which is
> quite
> : good, by the way), but had never installed it until a few weeks ago
> (note how
> : all this timing seems to point back to a few weeks ago). Thinking this
> might
> : be a part of the problems I've been having (and I have one more to
> relate
> : yet), I tried to uninstall it. IMPOSSIBLE, and I know what I'm doing.
> The
> : Add/Remove always asks for the CD to do the uninstall, and the CD
> never does
> : anything but reinstall -- there is no uninstall option! So finally, I
> did
> : what I hate to do -- simply trashed the folders and let the registry
> cleaners
> : go at it. (In my view, this is a very inefficient way of uninstalling
> : software.)
> :
> : OK. You get the picture so far. Can no longer print to the network
> printer.
> : Couple other facts: I can print just fine from the local machine to
> the
> : printer. However, I cannot print from the OTHER computer I have either
> any
> : more, as I can't even get on the home network with it any more, and
> I've done
> : NOTHING to that machine -- no software adds, no utilities, no
> removals,
> : nothing. It just will no longer connect to the network unless I
> disable
> : security (128 WAP -- nothing dramatic). So THAT machine might be a
> whole
> : different issue -- but I knew someone would ask if I can print from
> it.
> :
> : NOW, the OTHER problem I am having is with IE6 SP1, and this started
> during
> : this time as well. (Btw, while I get no error msg attempting to print
> frome
> : IE, it does not print, either.) Somewhere between the first and fifth
> attempt
> : to access an internet page each time I restart my machine now, the
> progress
> : bar will fill all the way up, then the system will just STOP DEAD for
> between
> : 2.5 and 3 minutes (I am not sure the time is esp meaningful, as I
> suspect it
> : is a function of the processor being used), then finally release and
> all is
> : well. During that time, EVERYTHING stops. I can't click any icons in
> the
> : taskbar, cannot bring up Task Manager -- if I hadn't watched it come
> back to
> : life about 100 times now, I would swear it is just the old Windows
> lockup
> : problem and reboot. But it DOES come back to life, and is just fine
> when it
> : does. I cannot fathom what is causing this, but I have my suspicions
> about
> : all the antivirus, antispam, antispy stuff I've described -- along
> with the
> : Dragon stuff. Something is trying to do something (or maybe a lot of
> things
> : are trying to do something) and they just sort of lock horns for a
> while.
> :
> : ANYHOW, can anyone help me? I have been spending hours per day (I am
> on
> : disability so have the time) trying to resolve this, and it is making
> me
> : crazy that I can't print. (I think I also have a network problem per
> the
> : above but don't think that is the problem here -- although I could be
> wrong).
> :
> : I have set up the network again, I have reinstalled the router again,
> etc. I
> : can't think of anything I've not tried.
> :
> : One last thing: I made what I now consider to be the HUGE mistake of
> : installing and using TweakUI for XP on both this laptop AND the
> machine that
> : houses the printer. Immediately after installation, I had problems on
> both
> : machines accessing the Windows Update stuff -- only to learn TweakUI
> had
> : installed Group Policy settings that were keeping the Update stuff
> from
> : working! Earlier, I wrote to this group asking if there was a way to
> return
> : all TweakUI settings to their original default upon install, and was
> told
> : there was not. I have a feeling this MIGHT be playing into this, but
> have no
> : clue how. I have explored every Group setting that I can think of that
> might
> : be stopping this to no avail, but by no means have I explored all of
> them.
> : DAMN those who put out utilities with no means of recovery when a
> problem
> : ensues immediately post-install!
> :
> : Well, there it is. A lot of info from someone who "just" can't print
> over
> : the network any more. But I figured putting as much detail in now
> might help
> : those with a mind to try to help me, and save a bunch of postings. I
> am more
> : than willing to discuss things or try things suggested by anyone who
> will
> : stand on a hill in front of firing squads on all sides and swear they
> know
> : what they are talking about.
> :
> : Please, one last thing: If you are having some other problem and this
> is
> : kind of like it but different, please don't use my post to tell about
> your
> : problems UNLESS THEY ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHAT I'VE WRITTEN HERE,
> but post
> : separately. Sorry to be selfish about it, but I need answers and
> suggestions
> : to this problem.
> :
> : Thanks.
> :
> : Bill F
>
>
>
.

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